Sky Without Hope or Despair
by Final Hikari
Summary: Once death has come, there is no more hope or despair, no more success or failure. The only feeling that remains is the sense of freedom from the moral world. Our final view of the world is translucent...so much like the sky.


"_Once death has come, there is no more hope or despair, no more success or failure. The only feeling that remains is the sense of freedom from the moral world. Our final view of the world is translucent…so much like the sky."_

The Sky Without Hope or Despair

_Zack…_

Aerith Gainsborough smiled as the warm spring breeze blew through the field, capturing stray flower petals and pulled them upward. They swayed, rising and filling as the wind carried them closer to the sky. She felt the soft petals brush against her skin and smiled as they danced in the wind.

_You'd be so proud of me now._

She tilted her head skyward, her expression peaceful and content. Her allies were exploring the area, looking for provisions and enemies. It was only for a fleeting few moments, but she had been left alone; it wasn't the slightest bit lonesome though. In fact, she felt perfectly safe knowing her friends were so close by.

_The sky…_

She sat down amongst the colorful flowers and stared up at the sky. It was a clear, beautiful blue. The color was pure and flawless. There were only a few puffy, white clouds visible in the endless hemisphere above her. She could understand why children always tried to see shapes in the clouds. They weren't rain clouds, and only served to enhance the beauty of the blue sky.

_Back when I met you, it always terrified me…_

The heavens seemed to stretch on infinitely. They went beyond anything the people of Gaia could reach. They were endless, and unlike anything on their tormented planet, eternal. They went higher than even the Lifestream that gave their planet life. No person to date was able to venture outside of the planet's atmosphere.

_I still understand why it scared me so much…it's so vast, and I still sometimes feel like it's going to swallow me up and take me away…_

The pleasant sweet scent of the flowers was also carried in the breeze alongside the petals. The field was fee of enemies, and a peaceful feeling was all that settled over the land. It was a small area and the tranquility was fleeting, but it was impossible not to feel calmed by the serenity.

_And…the Lifestream carried you away into the sky, too…_

The memory was bittersweet, and the small view of sunlight from her church was unforgettable. Midgar was a metropolis like no other, although the slums she had grown up in could only be described as dystopian. She had still loved the city for what it provided them with, despite knowing many viewed those who lived below the plate negatively.

_But now, I agree with you._

Even above the plate in Midgar, the sky was often obscured by thick smog that choked its victimized citizens. Pollution was rampant and more often than not, the air smelled foul. The bustle of the city and the sheer amount of people made everything feel small. In comparison to the sky, Midgar was indeed tiny and insignificant.

_It's still a little scary…_

The scale of all Gaia to the rest of the universe was small. Such profound thoughts weren't uncommon, but they were difficult to extinguish once they started. The mere concept of things like eternity and infinity were awe inspiring. The modern world was so abandoned by the ideas that they were hard to fathom.

_But it's so beautiful…and it looks so…liberating._

A small smile pulled at Aerith's lips as she heard a familiar voice calling out to her. She turned around and smiled at the young ex-SOLDIER who hurried down the hill while replacing his heavy sword in the harness that held it. She waved at him cheerfully, her emerald green eyes meeting his mako blue stare.

_Besides…you're waiting for me up there, aren't you, Zack?_

* * *

Final Hikari: The angst! But hopefully it was beautiful angst. XD

Aerith: …Is there such a thing? O.o

Final Hikari: Better ask Cloud. Anyhow, this is for the Aerith-x-Zack-Club's contest. The theme is spring, which is the season flowers start to bloom. Need I explain more? XP

Aerith: Actually, yes, there's still the disclaimer.

Final Hikari: But you're supposed to say it…XD

Aerith: The Final Hikari doesn't own anything from Final Fantasy VII.

Final Hikari: But I am taking literature commissions of all kinds! -brick'd for such crummy attempts at advertising-


End file.
